God’s Perfect Work in My Life

 

 

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

—John 15:2

 

 

In John 15:2, John uses the image of pruning branches to make a point. A fruit-producing branch, when pruned, will eventually produce more fruit. In the same way, more fruit is produced in our lives when we are pruned. Some people believe the Lord prunes us with things like disease, sickness, loss, and other tragedies so that we will ultimately bear more fruit. 

 

Such a belief glorifies our tragedies as good things and suggests they are necessary if we want to bear more fruit. This is inconsistent with God’s goodness revealed in Christ and with the rest of the text in John 15, which demonstrates Jesus’s pruning is done through the Word He has spoken to us.

 

“If you abide in Me,” Jesus said, “and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this, My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:7).

 

The will of God is for you to bear much fruit. If you abide in Him, and His Words abide in you, you will receive from Him and produce greater fruit. The Word changing you and not your tragedy glorifies the Father. The promise that you will receive from the Lord is conditional on your abiding in Him. When we are not abiding in the Lord, it is not the Lord who fails to answer our prayers. When we are not abiding in Jesus, Satan is the one who hinders our prayers; our flesh has its own way and renders us powerless against the enemy. When we abide in Jesus, the Spirit has His way. The Word prunes us to bear love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And against His spiritual fruit in us, there is no law.

 

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul wrote that God's Word was given to us “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s Word is how He prunes us. He doesn’t need the enemy’s contribution to produce spiritual fruit. In fact, the enemy's purpose is to defeat the spiritual work the Word can accomplish in us. But God's Word will make us “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 

 

Just because we can learn lessons from life’s tragedies doesn’t mean God sends them to prune us. God’s Word prunes us. And, yes, His pruning can hurt when the Word challenges our wrongful beliefs and lousy lifestyle choices. We live in a fallen world where the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy us, but also where Jesus has given His life for us to have God’s abundant life. God doesn’t bring tragedy. He gives abundant life—not death. We endure tragedy as the result of Adam’s sin and often as a result of our own. Yes, we will suffer from Satan’s battering when we live for Jesus. But suffering for the Gospel's sake is totally different from the suffering sin produces. The hardships we endure because of the Gospel and our godly lifestyle choices glorify the Father. 

 

If we believe God places tragedy in our lives to make us more fruitful, then we will not resist the devil. James 4:7 says if we submit ourselves to God and resist the enemy, he will flee from us. We all can learn from the tragedies of life, but the believer who welcomes them and does not resist them will suffer greatly. He will be far behind the person who lets God's Word have His perfect work in him.

 

God prunes my life with His Word. His Word is His perfect work in my life. But it is only His perfect work if I abide in Him, and His Word abides in me. I will submit myself to God and stand in the face of adversity. I won’t welcome tragedy in my life as a gift from God. I will refuse to give place to the enemy. I will submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. 

 

Jesus, you have overcome. Now, overcome in me. Have your perfect work.

 

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

 

 

www.lynnlacher.com/2024/10/gods-perfect-work-in-my-life.html